This is an interesting conversation - for years I have wanted to join the club, but as an out-of-towner, whether intentional or not, some aspects of the membership requirements make that very challenging. This is just my 2 cents input, not a complaint and I hope no one takes it that way.
I may have never made it out to one of the organized volunteer days - this doesn't mean I don't do my share out there, everytime I leave the FSR, I come out with bags of garbage, I also organize formalized volunteer annual litter picks on both roads and rivers here in the community where I live (for more than 10 years now). I get an annual paid volunteer day, and this spring I will be using it with a CJA event for a change of pace (and I would like to do a test run before Moab and it only seems fair to give a day back to join an organized ride this spring), I am also a very active fly angler, and most of my volunteering is spent within that activity, but as far as I am concerned the two activites are very closely tied together - I built my jeep specifically for flyfishing exploration, so for me, they go hand in hand - don't all of our issues tie back to access in both activities ?) - I take alot of abuse on flyfishing forums for consistently defending 4x4ing, often citing myself, and clubs such as the CJA and AURS, as strongly working to effect a cultural shift within the the 4x4 community towards environmental stewardship. This requirement is not why I don't qualify for membership - I would have no problem redirecting some of my volunteer time towards the club activities, and to be honest, as a guy with 16 years varied experience in highway and road management and maintainence, in all aspects from running equipment to working as an areas operations supervisor, to building new roads in challenging terrains, resolving waterway connectivity issues, etc etc, I just might have something to contribute on some of your projects. problem is that I don't want to have to endure working the next day after a meeting with 3 hours sleep, which is what I will have to do to be able to attend the regular evening meetings - (also, for the last three years the meeting conflicted with my On-call schedule so I couldn't leave Lake Louise anyway without a counterpart having to take my duty shift anyway).
If I could still be a member, without the burden of attending meetings on weeknights, you would see me at a number of your weekend events, the fact that folks in my situation are excluded from membership for this reason, is a little frustrating and certainly demotivates me from directing my volunteer time towards the CJA knowing my particpation gains me nothing in the way of consideration for membership.
If there was some way to particpate in meetings on-line, or via proxy voting, or whatever, I would gladly tackle the other membership requirements with enthusiasm. Maybe holding a couple meetings a year on weekends at the trailhead, or at a clean-up / repair event might open up opportunities for folks like me that really would love to particpate, but can't under the current rules - anyway just a couple thoughts on how membership could be boosted or at least a little more inclusive for us out-of town folks.
I certainly appreciate the connections I have made here and the site has been incredibly helpfull in my recent build but it still sux being an outsider and not really being able to do anything about it short of using my vacation days to attend meetings ( and I prefer to save those for operating my jeep, not talking about it) - such is life...
Topic: Jeep of the Month (Read 7870 times)